


Giving up is a fools game

by justwritingforfun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A year or two before timeskip, Happy Ending, Onigiri Miya, Osamu character study, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:20:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justwritingforfun/pseuds/justwritingforfun
Summary: When the world is persistent in pushing him down, Osamu pushed back.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26





	Giving up is a fools game

Osamu loved his job, he did.

He loved working with food and enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction when he finally perfected a recipe he had been working on for months. Felt ecstatic seeing the people that came into his restaurant light up when they tasted the onigiri.

Though as much as he loved it, he couldn’t pretend the amount of work he put into his restaurant with nothing coming out of it wasn’t starting to make him exhausted.

A few people told him this,  _ you’re young, it takes years for people to start up something like this. _

That only made him try harder though. Then when he started up his restaurant they told him something along with congratulations.

_ ‘You just got lucky, that’s all.’ _

He doesn’t remember their faces, or their names, all he remembers are their words.

He likes to think he proved them wrong but everytime Osamu messes up or there’s a customer less than the day before, their words always ring through his head.

Osamu convinced himself it wasn’t getting to him, but, he knew it was, over time.

—

Opening the door to his apartment, his mood only became more gloomy at how dim it was.

He let it stay dark as he wandered to the direction of his room, slipping his clothes off before getting into bed.

Osamu was tired, so tired. 

It was only 9pm. He was up early though, so he closed his eyes and ignored his feelings for another night.

He would do that tomorrow as well, and the next day after that.

All the days were the same now.

Get up, shower, work, sleep, repeat.

  
  


—

Osamu yawned. It was 7pm now, only one or two people had come in and he figured no one else would be in for the night. He walked into the empty kitchen, being alone with his thoughts as he started to clean up.

It was freezing out, he could practically feel it in the shop. It was December now though, so of course the weather would be colder than usual.

Maybe he should get some heating for the restaurant? His parents used to always go into places that were warm when the air was colder than the food in their freezer, so maybe people would do the same and come into Onigiri Miya.

_ Nah. The heating isn’t the problem. _

His hand held the tissue, wiping over the counter and catching the crumbs in his hand that he would transfer to the trash in a second.

Hearing the sound of someone come in, slight shock came over him before he walked out to the front.

“Welcome t-“ Osamu stopped in his footsteps upon seeing his brother enter, not sure if he was glad to see him or embarrassed that after avoiding his texts and calls Atsumu had now walked in on his empty restaurant. 

“...H-“

“Finally I’ve caught ‘ya! I know ‘yer business is shooting up but ‘ya could’ve at least made time to answer me!”

_ He wishes that was the case. _

“Sorry.” He paused for a second, then deciding to gesture to a stool at the counter. “Want something to eat?”

“Don’t apologize to me, feels odd ‘comin from you!” The blond sat down, stretching his hands over the counter. “Yeah, I do want something to eat. Been ‘hearin my stomach growl at me all throughout practice today!”

His voice became slightly quieter as Osamu walked into the kitchen, thanking the gods Atsumu had probably just assumed he closed early today. Taking the ingredients out and putting them back on to the surface he just cleaned, Osamu called out to him.

“Have you been skipping breakfast?”

“Nah, ‘ya know I get up early enough to have it, just been practicing this new serve. Obviously not ‘eatin enough for the amount of energy I need.”

“You could bring lunches to practice?”

“Or I can crash my younger brother's restaurant for food after practice!”

“Younger by only a minute.”

“Still younger!”

“Yeah, okay.”

Atsumu pulled a slightly confused expression at his brother's response, usually he would bite back, not just agree. A plate full of onigiri was placed in front of him before he could ask about it, or more so made him forget the wondering as soon as the smell hit his nose.

Thanks slipped out of his mouth as soon as he fitted the Onigiri in, taking a large bite.

Osamu watched closely, he wanted to finally see if anything was wrong with his meals and Atsumu was never good at hiding what he felt. So he’d get an honest answer now.

As always, Atsumu was quick to eat his brother’s food. A happy expression came to accompany the breaths that were visible now from digesting the warm food before it could cool down.

It only confused the chef more, if he was being honest.

The blond was too absorbed in the flavor and the thought of getting the food down his throat to notice the perplexed look on Osamu’s face.

A sigh broke past his tightly sealed lips, hand reaching up to take his cap off. Fingers running through his hair, he glanced around to all the empty seats.

_ What am I doing wrong? _

The thought stayed on his mind, all throughout the night as he talked to Atsumu. He was sure the other noticed his dull mood and he was thankful Atsumu didn’t try to bring it up to him.

After bidding their goodbyes and a promise to contact his older twin more, Osamu returned to clean the kitchen once again, there wasn’t as much of a mess as before though.

Even once he finished he found himself still standing in the kitchen, pondering over the thought.

_ Maybe I’m not doing anything wrong? What if this just isn’t for me? _

Osamu felt the cold from the wall, even through his clothing as he slid down to the floor.

_ Perhaps ‘Tsumu was right, he’ll be the happier one. _

His eyeline was focused on his fingers, they were fiddling in nervousness above his knees as his thoughts trailed on. He flattened his hands out and turned his calloused palms to face him, they were soft, sure, but years of volleyball had lessened the pillow-touch usual palms have.

Should he have stuck to volleyball? Kept on playing with his brother?

_ The miya twins, striking fear into the hearts of any team they played against. _

The site of his hands became blurry as he clenched and unclenched his hands.

_ I got lucky.  _

He remembers when they were younger they’d dream of playing together on the Japan team.

Osamu, he knew he didn’t want to play volleyball anymore. Not professionally anyway, but he was good at it. He could make a living doing that instead of failing at his current dream.

_ I should quit while I'm ahead. _

Tears that were saltier than any ingredient he had stored started rolling down his cheeks.

As his lips started to quiver and his grip became too tight, suddenly the rain outside and the light in the kitchen was too overwhelming to bear.

Words slipped out from his mouth, in a voice he didn’t even recognize.

“I don’t,” As a breath tried to enter, a sob pushed it out. “I don’t want to quit.”

Shaky breaths left as sobs continued to try to keep them out, hiccups soon joined that seemed to bring more tears as their plus one.

“I don’t want to,”

Those words kept escaping past all his cries. Osamu doesn't know if he was saying it in desperation from giving up or a way to convince himself he didn’t want to stop yet, he had to keep going.

Everything was unclear to him right now, he didn’t know what to do.

He couldn’t ask anyone either, he didn’t want anyone to know the mess he was in right now.

So not being able to do anything else, he continued to sob, slowly drowning out the sound of anything else that surrounded him.

“I don’t want to quit.”

—

“Yeah, okay, don’t be too long ‘Tsumu.”

Osamu left the call with that, returning his phone back to his pocket.

It was another quiet night in Onigiri Miya, and if it wasn’t for Atsumu coming after practice he would have closed early.

Yawning, he left the front to go into the kitchen, getting ingredients ready for a dish he had made a million times for his brother.

The chef was tired as he started to prepare the meal, after not getting much sleep the night before. He hadn’t got a good sleep in a while, thoughts of the restaurant not getting attention and other paths he could take keeping him up to the late hours of the night.

Footsteps that were lighter than Atsumu’s, along with a voice way softer. It was _weak_ as it spoke out, surprising him.

“Hello?”

Osamu was quick to come back to the front, trying not to look rude as he took her appearance in.

Her hair and clothes were soaked, no doubt from walking in the rain. The woman’s blue eyes were cloudy with bags underneath them, with tear stains littered down her cheeks. Her voice sounded like she had just been ripped apart and put back together.

“Hello.” His voice was gentle, trying to let a sense of comfort wash over her. “How can I help you?”

She sniffled, looking slightly embarrassed, “Can I order some food?” She only realized after how idiotic she might have sounded, asking a chef if she could order food.

Fortunately, Osamu only chuckled and spoke with amusement in her voice.

“You’re in luck then, we have lots of food.” He hummed lightly, before continuing, “So what can I get you?”

“Pick for me, please.”

The taller one nodded, motioning her to sit down before he went back to the kitchen. Osamu thought hard, thinking about what flavors would be comforting at this time.

As he started to work, Osamu tried to ignore the sounds of the woman's quiet cries that came through the restaurant. He didn’t want to embarrass her further by letting her know he could hear her.

He lost track of time, he always does while cooking. So Osamu wasn’t sure how long he left her out there.

Once coming out to her, he saw the light in her eyes when he placed the food down.

The chef could feel the restaurant getting cold just from her being there, she looked freezing.

Warmth spread to the tips of her fingers as she took the Onigiri up, taking a bite as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

Osamu couldn’t tell if she was crying from sadness or the relief of warmth finally setting throughout her body that was still covered in rain.

As she smiled and the corners of her eyes crinkled, Osamu began to know why she was crying.

Out of happiness.

Sometimes, all you need is a meal to make you feel normal again.

This woman, this woman that sat in his restaurant was crying tears from  _ happiness  _ from eating  _ his  _ food.

Suddenly Osamu remembered why he loved food so much, why he got into this line of work in the first place.

_ To make people happy with his food. _

Ever since he made Atsumu that meal after their first loss and his brother cheered up, saying he wanted to practice more for the next, he knew he wanted to help others in that way too.

He could never give up this.

When the woman left, Osamu thanked her, and said the meal was on the house.

—

“‘Samu,” The chef heard a familiar voice drag out the last letter out in a way to get attention as he peeked through the kitchen. “Can’t I have-“ He moved out of the way slightly, letting a younger man go past him with a plate full of onigiri. Mouth only watering more, he turned back to his brother. “Mine first?”

Another order was given to the dark haired twin as he stayed spaced out, a blissful look in his eyes as he made the food.

“‘Samu?” Ignored again, worry started to bloom in the blond. Entering the kitchen he walked beside his brother. “‘Samu?”

Osamu snapped out of his daze, looking to his brother as his fingers stilled around the rice he was molding.

“Yeah?”

“Are ya okay?”

Osamu smiled, a smile that reached his eyes, his eyes that held a light in them as bright as the sun outside now.

“Better than okay.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hope you all enjoy this 🥺


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